Journal of Mosaic Research (Nov 2015)
Crosses in the Mosaic Floors of Churches in Provincia Arabia and Nearby Territories, Against the Background of the Edict of Theodosius II
Abstract
Between the 4th and 8th centuries A.D., many churches were founded in Provincia Arabia and neighbouring territories (today’s Transjordan). Most of the churches were paved with mosaics. The mosaics floors are decorated with geometric, vegetal and figurative carpets with a rich repertoire of scenes of daily life, sometimes accompanied by personifications. The floors were also decorated with symbolic heraldic arrangements and symbolic motifs, among them crosses. This research focus on a description of the different types of cross found in Byzantine churches in Transjordan, their position on the mosaic floors and in the church space, and the use of parallel motifs with equivalent significance as concealed crosses. The repertoire of crosses is rich, and crosses have been found of the equal-armed Greek cross type, the Latin cross, the Maltese cross, or a geometric interlace in the form of a Greek cross. There are also crosses of the crux clipeata, crux gemmata and crux decussate type. In some places the letters ΑΩ are shown between the arms of the cross, or suspended from the vertical arm. In other places the cross is shown on a graduated mound symbolizing the hill of Golgotha. The crosses in mosaic floors decorate the vestibules of church complexes, churches, chapels attached to churches, crypts, martyrium chapels, funerary chapels, and baptisteries. They are not hidden, and are not limited to a specific part of the church or chapel building; on the contrary, the crosses are open to view and appear in the apse, the bema, the sacristy, halls, panels between columns, the narthex, vestibules and passageways or entrances between spaces. The appearance of crosses on mosaic floors in churches is seemingly surprising, because it contravenes the edict issued in A.D. 427 by the Emperor Theodosius II. But this edict had scant influence on the mosaics of our region, and the archaeological finds testify to the existence of crosses carved in stone or incorporated in the mosaic floors of the churches in Transjordan and in the adjacent territories, despite the risk of desecration, due to the position of crosses along the path of entry into the church and the traffic route inside the church, where people might walk and step on them. The archaeological evidence testifies to the gap between the spirit of the edict and reality on the ground, and contributes to an understanding of the phenomenon
